Instagram success is hard to define. Some people look at likes, others look at follower count. Regardless of the metric, though, it all comes back to the story you’re telling—in other words, your brand. That’s why we look to inspiring bios that both tell a story and grab the attention of potential consumers/followers. So far, 2020 Instagram bios are stepping up the game—here are 15 of our favorites:
1. Marie Forleo, @Marieforleo
Anyone who knows Marie knows her for her thought leadership, life coaching, and career advice. What makes her bio stand out from the rest is its brevity. She doesn’t go on and on about her accolades—she adds one big honor (named by Oprah “thought leader for our next generation”) along with her title, CEO, and a fun fact about her to preview her personality. Of course, her bio links to her blog, which is a standard best practice for marketing your brand.
2. The Wing, @the.wing
Some companies get wrapped up in fluffy words and corporate jargon that they forget to send a clear message about their mission and objectives. The Wing does a good job of getting that message across with clarity and personality.
3. Ballet BC, @balletbc
Ballet BC is a great example of a company that gets to the point, shows off what they have to offer, and promotes without being cheesy. The Ballet BC bio has three bullet points: 1 to tell you that it is an internationally acclaimed creation-based contemporary ballet company, another that highlights the artistic director, and a third to promote their most recent event. Short and sweet!
4. Hootsuite, @hootsuite
For all the social media fanatics out there, Hootsuite is probably already on your radar. Hootsuite does a great job of scheduling and developing social media plans for companies, so naturally, the company has a killer bio. We love the Hootsuite bio because it’s creative and captivating, while also telling you what their company is all about. Bonus: Hootsuite included a hashtag, #Hootsuitelife, in the bio to define their brand.
5. Thrillist, @thrillist
Thrillist is a fun company. Period. This company is all about food—reviews, rants, recipes, you name it! So we’re all about the fun, light, clever Instagram bio that really gives you an idea of what the company does.
6. Fossil, @fossil
Sometimes we stray from the cutesy, clever bios and lean more toward a CTA-evoking ‘gram. In this case, we’re loving Fossil’s bio for its strong CTA and an extra push to keep scrolling for more.
7. Brooklyn Decker, @brooklyndecker
Brooklyn Decker is an actor with a great sense of humor, and we love how she reflects a sense of candor in her Instagram—especially her bio. Her bio reads, “Mother of a boy, a girl, and two Bulldogs. I might show up on your tv screen, started a tech company, might be losing my mind.” Even though it’s funny, we still get a good idea of who she is and what she does. Good job, Brooklyn!
8. Home Polish, @homepolish
Copywriting for social media is always a tough game to play, but Home Polish hit a home run with its social copy. The bio is clever and punny, which sets a precedent for the brand that it’s going to be an easy read, fun, and light. We also love the CTA at the end of the bio!
9. JetBlue, @jetblue
JetBlue is known for its clever, cutting-edge marketing (especially in the airline industry), and its Instagram account is no different! One look over the bio and we know that it’s the official JetBlue Instagram account (believe it or not, lots of people make up fake accounts that actually seem pretty believable!). We also know that the company is customer-centric, asking for concerns/redirecting customers to a contact page. And we know that there’s a sense of community within the JetBlue social bubble.
10. Dove, @dove
We love when a company can summarize its mission, values, and work in 1 or 2 sentences. Why write a paragraph when you can keep it brief and readable? That’s what Dove does with the company’s Instagram bio. It’s short and sweet, and it directs followers to a link that will go more in-depth with the company mission and values.
11. Once Upon a Farm, @onceuponafarm
This company isn’t as well known as some of the others on this list, but we still think it has a rockin’ Instagram! Once Upon a Farm was co-founded by Jennifer Garner, who also has a successful Instagram presence. The bio starts with a description of the product (cold-pressed baby food, applesauce & smoothies) followed by the product’s benefits (Organic, Non-GMO), and finally a shoutout to Jennifer Garner. We love the use of emojis in this bio to keep the tone light and fun!
12. Liz Carlson, @youngadventuress
Here’s an individual Instagram bio that knocked it out of the ballpark. Liz Carlson is a world traveler who documents her adventures on her blog and social profiles. This bio is great because we can get an idea of her personality, background, and life without it being too long-winded.
13. Marriott, @marriotthotels
Marriott is a high-end hospitality company that still sprinkles light-hearted messages into its Instagram. Its bio focuses on travel and perspectives, which is a refreshing message pivot from the typical hotel brand.
14. Michelle Obama, @michelleobama
With 36.7 million followers, it’s clear that Michelle Obama has a huge presence on social media. On her bio, she tells it how it is. She says who she is, what she loves, and adds a little bit of personality with her “hugger-in-chief” remark.
15. HubSpot, @hubspot
We always like to see what social media companies are doing for their own social profiles, and HubSpot is on our list of companies that are doing it right. The HubSpot bio is bold. “It’s not enough for businesses to grow. They need to #GrowBetter” is a call to action and a challenge all in one. It’s on-brand for HubSpot and it makes followers stop their scrolls to read more.